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DHS Wishes Admiral Brown Fair Winds and Following Seas

January 13, 2012

4:08 pm

Posted by Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute

Today the Department of Homeland Security bids farewell to a true American patriot, professional, and valued member of the DHS leadership team – Rear Admiral Mike Brown, who this afternoon retires from the U.S. Navy after a remarkable, highly-decorated, 36 year career.

Admiral Brown began his service in the Navy in 1976 as a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated in 1980 and embarked on a military career that spanned three decades and included numerous fleet, joint, and national positions. He specialized in intelligence and information operations, and was instrumental in expanding the Navy’s operational role in cyberspace.

He joined the Department in 2008 as deputy assistant secretary, Cybersecurity and Communications, where he helped lead and strengthen many of the Department’s key cybersecurity programs and initiatives – from efforts to develop the nation’s first cyber incident response plan, to the deployment of new technologies to protect federal systems from cyber attacks, to major exercises such as Cyberstorm, to test our nation’s cyber-readiness and response.

As director, Cybersecurity Coordination, Admiral Brown also led the Department’s efforts to better integrate and coordinate our work with the Department of Defense to ensure joint capabilities, and he served as our senior representative to U.S. Cyber Command.

For his service to DHS and the United States, Admiral Brown receives from Secretary Napolitano the DHS Distinguished Service Medal, one of the Department’s highest honors. It is certainly well deserved.

Mike was singularly wise, thoughtful, and hard working. He has been an inspiration to all of us, and we will miss his presence, counsel, and sense of humor. All of us wish Mike fair winds and following seas in his life beyond his military and government service and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.